So Whose Fault Was It?
by Mad Fleas
Summary: Hinata, Kiba, and Shino have been very good friends and teammates since seven years ago, and enjoyed a peaceful and platonic relationship all this time... but one night changes everything. Who is to blame?
1. Chapter 1

**SO WHOSE FAULT WAS IT? **

_**by Mad Fleas **_

**xxxxxxx**

_**A/N:** I am a huge fan of Team 8 in Naruto -- they have been the most solid group since the beginning, and they support each other so well, both in their ninja activities and as friends as well, no matter that -- or perhaps because -- they are all so different from each other. This fiction is rated M for lemons in later chapters, though, so be warned. This is also my first attempt at writing lemons, and I hope you enjoy this one, all you other Team 8 fans out there. Reviews and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.  
_

_I do not own Naruto. _

**xxxxxxx**

**_HINATA_**

It was all Kiba's fault, thought Hinata.

He had run off again in the middle of a mission to meet up with another of his "lady friends". They had barely set up camp in the middle of the forest when he made his excuses, saying he hadn't seen this particular "friend" for quite some time. This route they were taking was one they often took whenever they needed to go north of Konoha, and was now very familiar, and very convenient to them.

_It isn't just the meandering path through the woods that was familiar and convenient_, thought Hinata, with an inward rolling of eyes. Particularly for Kiba, who, because of his outgoing nature, had friends practically everywhere they went. Yes, _friends_, right. At nineteen, the young shinobi had developed into quite a fantastic specimen of the male species, with his body toned by the strenuous physical activities a ninja normally went through, and that devilish smile with a matching come-hither sparkle in his eyes. The females in the village (and outside it) were crazy about him, from the young academy students who they sometimes gave tracking demonstrations to, to the non-shinobi members of the village, who didn't need to really know him to feel the effects of his devastating charm. The brashness of his youth has now mellowed into the kind of roughness that caused girls to think of wild and passionate… things.

Thank heavens Hinata had known him since their ninja academy days, and this somehow lessened his effect on her. She had always thought, or at least insisted to herself, that they were just very good friends, the two of them and Shino, and that their affections for each other were more of the brother-sister type. Plus there was always the thought of Naruto in the back of her mind.

Naruto. It felt like she had loved him forever, and it was a bittersweet feeling to know that he did care for her, but only as a friend. At least that was how it was three years ago when they last saw each other. After learning of Sasuke's and Jiraiya's deaths, he went a little crazy, though the typical villager wouldn't have noticed it. The way Hinata knew was this: the Naruto she knew, who made the improvement of other people's situations the point of his life, had become disillusioned with life itself. He had failed to "save his friend" and in so doing failed not only himself, but in his eyes Konoha as well, and both Sasuke and Sakura. No longer did he flash his smile and stick up his thumb like Lee, but whenever he did smile, it was the tired sort of smile that seemed to say, "Well, that's just how it is, I suppose."

For half a year after that tragic time he stayed in Konoha, but after the threat of the Akatsuki passed, he went away, probably at the urging of the Godaime herself, so he could regroup and find himself. Hinata knew that Tsunade favored Naruto above all else to be Konoha's future leader, and was therefore devastated to find that Naruto had lost his spirit, for how could the will of Konoha be perpetuated by a leader who was dead inside?

And so the sixteen-year-old Naruto went away, and it felt, at the time, that something inside Hinata died as well. She never thought he would stay away this long – perhaps a year, but then the first year passed, and then the second, and now the third…

But life went on for Hinata and the rest of the old gang. Romances were formed, and broken – for a time Ino and Kiba became a couple, but then they couldn't handle each others tempers and broke up eventually. Temari has been Suna's ambassador to Konoha for quite a while, and whenever she was in the village, she and Shikamaru couldn't be separated. Lee and Tenten and Neji… well, that was an uncomfortable triangle that until now was still an uncomfortable triangle, for Lee finally realized that Sakura would never see him as more than a friend (especially since Sakura and Sai were now often seen together, though the nature of their relationship was something Hinata could never quite understand) and that there had always been someone close to him who silently admired him, in his bumbling earnestness, though nobody would ever have known of this admiration if the girls hadn't got drunk on Ino's birthday the previous year and had Tenten stupidly confess the fact. Of course, after that night, when Tenten realized her mistake, she begged them to --

_"… Please, guys, don't tell anybody!" Tenten's hands were clasped pitifully under her chin as she looked at her friends. Ino smirked, and said, "Whyever not? He's been pining after Forehead forever, and I swear it's high time he looked at someone else." _

_Sakura snorted at this. "Shut up, Pig, this isn't about me. But I do agree that if you think so highly of Lee-san, Tenten, you should let him know. He's a good guy." _

_Temari looked from one face to another, her brows furrowed. "But I thought… you and Neji -- "_

_Tenten exclaimed hotly, "Neji?! He's a prick! Yes, he's cool and all, but he's just… cold. Sorry, Hinata, no offense to you." _

_Hinata just shrugged and smiled. She knew her cousin had mellowed a bit, but it was hard to change completely. It was almost unbelievable that Tenten, one of the coolest kunoichi around, would come to have feelings for the ungainly Lee. _

They made plans that day to have Tenten and Lee hook up, to Tenten's embarrassment. It would have been a complete success, if it weren't for –

_"Neji…" sobbed Tenten to her friends. "He said Lee talked to him about us, that Lee's happy and all and that's why he told Neji, who was 'his closest friend' – those were Lee's words -- and then Neji told Lee first, and then me, that he always had feelings for me, and that he thought I always knew!" _

_"Gah! Boys can be such idiots!" exclaimed Ino. _

_Hinata continued patting the crying girl's shoulder. "What will we do now?" she sighed mournfully. _

_"And he said that Lee told him they had always been rivals, but now they had something really worth fighting over!" Tenten wailed. "I don't want them fighting over me!" _

But fight they did, and at one time they even came to blows. Tenten was so miserable, especially when the thought crossed her mind that perhaps Lee didn't really like her as she liked him, that maybe it was the idea of romantic rivalry that made him stay with her. And Neji… the proud shinobi could never give up to someone whom he always thought was never as good as he was, someone who was... _inferior_. Ino was right. Boys can be such idiots. And so it was that the months following that were tense for Team Gai, and until now, their romantic problems still complicated things. It didn't help matters at all that Gai-sensei thought it was healthy to have his male students fight for the favors of "Konoha's flower", and encouraged the rivalry, probably even envying the romantic factor which was absent in his and Kakashi's own rivalry.

Being a ninja made for a horrible lovelife. There is always the threat of death, that while the prospect of it caused some people to rush into things – and relationships – other people held themselves so aloof to save themselves the trouble of emotions that would bear no fruit, especially since it was also a terrible distraction for the serious ninja. There is also the trouble with proximity with teammates, and the effects of adrenaline on a person's mind and libido. And then there is also the trouble with the structure of the three-man cell, that while it was strategic for missions, it was hell for relationships, as evidenced by Team Gai's present interpersonal dynamics. Many a team had been ruined by love triangles, and for shinobi, it could even cost lives.

And so it was with not a small amount of relief that Hinata was grateful that the members of Team Eight had always maintained their peaceful and platonic friendship.

That was, until now.

If Kiba hadn't gone to meet his "friend" in the forest… if he hadn't… and that girl hadn't…

It was all Kiba's fault.

**xxxxxxx**

**_KIBA_**

It was all Shino's fault, thought Kiba.

Though Shino was his best friend, Kiba couldn't help but resent the fact that the guy wasn't the most fun person to hang around with most of the time. It was rather curious how the two could be best friends, with one being as loud and outgoing as he was, and the other being the exact opposite, so silent, so mysterious, so _dry_, that in all the years he and Hinata had been Shino's best friends, never had been a hug exchanged between them. Sure, he would slap the silent shinobi's shoulder companionably once in a while, but everytime he did it, Shino would stare at him uncomfortably, _creepily_ from behind his glasses. It didn't require genius to know that Shino was not a touchy-feely guy, but as to the reasons, Kiba would never truly know. He thought that it was always because of Shino's kikaichu, but then Shino didn't exactly say that that was the reason, and Kiba never exactly asked… so he never was exactly sure.

Though Hinata was definitely more sociable than Shino, the girl wasn't exactly Kiba's idea of companionship for a good time. He respected Hinata, he liked Hinata, sweet, sweet Hinata, but he feared he was too rough for her, that he would tarnish her innocence with his brashness. He also knew her father, the fearsome Hyuuga Hiashi, never completely approved of him as a companion for Hinata, for the same reasons as he himself had.

And so it was that outside of Team Eight Kiba had a lot of friends, in and out of Konoha.

One such friend was Ino. Yes, until now they were good friends. Ino was fun, Ino could keep up with his bordering-on-downright-raunchy jokes and pranks – and even made really good ones herself – and this was her first attraction. But more than all of this, outside of people's superficial knowledge, Ino was truly a sweet and thoughtful person. She would be the first one to defend her friends whenever they were slighted, she would be the first one to come to a friend's bedside with flowers if he or she were injured. Even Kiba, who was self-admittedly not the most sensitive of people, managed to see this side of her, and fell in love with it.

It would surprise people to know that he was truly hurt when they broke up.

Ino said that they were too alike in many ways, and too different in others. Kiba never quite understood, but deep inside him, he felt that he lacked that something that would hold Ino's attention, her affection. It was the first time in his life that he completely lost his confidence, for how could he find in himself that elusive thing which Ino wanted if he didn't know just what it was? And so they broke up, but even now, many months after they were through, he would look inside himself, trying desperately to see just what she didn't see.

Perhaps someday he would try again with her.

For now he hid his heartbreak with his many flirtations. Sure, he liked women, and he had great fun with them – in many, many delicious ways – but at the end of the day, he would always return to the emptiness inside himself, and he never stayed too long with any one girl, who would never quite be the right shade of blonde, whose waist would never quite be the right circumference, whose voice, when it moaned against his ear, would never have quite the right timbre.

Like this girl in his arms right now. Taka was a lone gypsy who wandered through the forests looking for herbs to trade or sell, living off the land. She was a genius with medicinal plants, concocting her own potions, and would have been a treasure in any ninja hospital if only she didn't choose her nomadic lifestyle.

She was a beautiful girl, small and slender, with waist-length honey-colored hair through which Kiba loved to tangle his fingers. He did so right now as they lay on a grassy bed under the moonlight, the scent of love and sweat still permeating the air around them as they caught their breath.

A rumble of laughter welled from deep inside Kiba.

"What's so funny?" asked Taka, lifting her head off his chest as she searched his eyes languidly.

"Those two back at camp. They could have a contest as to who would keep their virginity longer."

Taka giggled, and flicked a finger against Kiba's nose playfully. "Don't be mean. They're just… shy, I suppose. Unlike some I know." She slid her knee between Kiba's, letting her smooth skin touch his now-flaccid member.

Kiba smiled. "Hm. Shy's not the right word. Well, for Hinata, maybe, but I know for a fact she's still pining for Naruto. I don't know who's the bigger idiot, Naruto for never seeing what was always right in front of his eyes or Hinata for never looking elsewhere."

"Love makes people stupid. That's why the wise don't fall in love." Taka said softly.

A lance of pain pierced through his heart, but before he could dwell on it, Taka spoke again. "What about your other friend?"

"You mean Shino? I don't know what his problem is. He's just… not a people-person. He's a bugboy," he added, chuckling to himself. "He understands bugs more than he does people, and he definitely gets along better with them."

"Maybe it's that, and maybe… people just never tried to understand him. He's different, right, but he's still a person."

Kiba silently agreed. People stayed away from Shino because they thought he was a freak. He didn't know which was worse, the disgust or the fear. For the millionth time since their acquaintance, Kiba felt pity for his friend.

"But then he really is hard to know," he explained to Taka. "People keep away from him, and so he keeps himself away from people as well. Hinata and I are his only two friends, if you can believe it. And even so we don't know him very well."

"Sounds like someone should put the two of them out of their misery."

"There's an idea," said Kiba noncommitally. "Drag Naruto back home and find a girl who isn't afraid of Shino. Easy-peasy."

"Don't be silly, Kiba. I meant bring them together."

"Eh?" Kiba looked at Taka quizzically. "Shino and Hinata? No way. They don't suit!" He laughed at the image. But then… Hinata was, indeed, the only girl who wasn't afraid of Shino, and who even had affections for him, while Shino, for sure, held Hinata in the highest regard, as she was one of his best friends… "There's an idea," he said again, but in a different tone now. "But how?"

"You forget who you're talking to, dog-boy. Come," the gypsy said as she rose and started walking towards her wagon.

Kiba joked, "I already did, three times, sweetheart, or did you forget already?"

Taka laughed. "Idiot! I meant come _here_!" She opened the door of her wagon and clambered inside, and began rummaging through her bottles and boxes.

"Again?" Kiba teased, as he got in behind her, touching her bare buttock suggestively. "You're insatiable, woman!"

Taka swatted his hand away, and took something from her collection. She waved it beneath his nose, and he sniffed at it curiously, asking, "What is it?"

"Careful! This, my friend, is the solution you're looking for. It's a leaf from a rare plant. It makes people fall in love."

"In lo—hah!" Kiba guffawed. "Makes people fall in love? Are you serious?"

"Well… okay, not actually in love, more like in _lust_. You roll it like a smoke and let him take a puff, and he'd be at her like a dog. Oh… I mean… you know," she finished with a weak laugh.

"I don't know… a lust cigarette for those two? What about afterwards?"

"Hm…" she looked at Kiba thoughtfully, "if you think there's ever a chance that they could like each other like that, why, lust is a powerful catalyst that could bring them together! And then afterwards they can work things out on their own. It could work. At least you can stop bitching about your prudish teammates," she teased.

Kiba grinned. "We-eell, since you put it that way, why not? At least they'd have a good time, right, and with a person they can trust! Great! You're an amazing woman, Taka…" He grabbed her by the waist and spun her around, and her giggles echoed through the night. "But Kiba, now's the perfect time! You have to give it to him now, and then just come back here later. Let it work its magic." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Kiba felt good as he ran back to their camp, his "gift" to Shino carefully stashed in one of his pockets. It was seldom he could do something nice for his friends, and though he had a few misgivings, he still hoped they'd be less miserable.

Everything would have worked out perfectly, if only Shino hadn't… then Hinata wouldn't have…

It was all Shino's fault.

**xxxxxxx**

_**SHINO**_

It was all Hinata's fault, thought Shino.

They had been friends for a long time, and teammates for even longer. In fact, she was the only female friend Shino had, the only female person outside of his own family that he could say he was comfortable with. She was one of the very few people who wasn't afraid of him, who could manage to touch him without cringing in fear.

It was primarily for this reason that Shino became so attracted to her.

Throughout his life, people shied away from him for the obvious reasons. He was of the Aburame clan, those freakish bug-people. Creepy. Asocial. He became used to it, though sometimes he would feel the odd pang of loneliness. Even within his family, they were not physically affectionate, though not for the reasons that people outside believed. Touching never hurt the kikaichu, and it never hurt him; in fact, contact with another person, through his own tactile perception and with the addition of his kikaichu's mysterious connection with him, felt unbelievably good, though unfamiliar. Nobody dared touch him outside the family.

That was, until he became part of Team Eight.

He had apprehensions at first, upon knowing that he would be teamed with the Inuzuka boy. Kiba had been his classmate since their early academy days, but they never became friends then. Well, Shino never had friends then. Kiba hung out mostly with Naruto and Chouji and Shikamaru, -- they ran around and played their games and their pranks, and Shino often wondered how Shikamaru put up with their rowdiness.

And then there was Hinata. Shino had already noticed her in class -- as in the way of many introverted people, he noticed those who were like him. But then there was a major difference between the two of them, and it was that Hinata sincerely cared what other people thought of her, and that was why she was so god-awful shy, and probably also the reason why she stuttered. Shino was never like that. Sure, he was socially awkward, and he said the weirdest things when people talked to him, but he never had a problem speaking. He just preferred not to. But Hinata… she was different.

He knew she liked Naruto – for that was how he was; he saw things that weren't so obvious to other people. Or maybe he saw, because he was always looking. In truth, he was somewhat fascinated with her. Perhaps it was those pale eyes. They were unique, no doubt, and definitely eye-catching. But it wasn't just the physical aspect of those eyes that Shino, as a young boy, became so fascinated with. It was the _look_ in them, an innocence, a sincerity, a light that was so obvious to him, even behind his dark glasses. Or perhaps because of them? And he saw how the light became brighter when her gaze was directed towards Naruto. And he saw how often that gaze was directed toward Naruto.

And there was nothing for him to do but stare at those eyes behind his glasses, those beautiful white eyes while they stared at Naruto.

What a surprise it was to find himself teamed with her!

He was glad that now he would have a greater opportunity to stare at those eyes, but at the same time, he was also aware that even then those eyes would be directed towards Naruto. As a boy, he was spared from that ugly feeling, jealousy, as his fascination was merely that of a child's. He just accepted things for how they were, and was comfortable with it.

What a team they were. Since he took time to listen, she never had trouble talking with him, and through the years, he had unconsciously helped her lose her stutter. He was aware that it was because of his neutralizing presence that Hinata became more at ease with Kiba, and that it was because of Hinata that Kiba mellowed his brashness a bit, and that it was because of Kiba that he himself learned to get along with people outside of his family. Though Shino was socially retarded, he had suspicions that he had come to love his teammates for the persons that they were.

For the life of him, he couldn't understand why Kiba would spend time with him, even outside of missions, just to "hang out". Kiba's words, not his. And so the three of them would stroll around Konoha, and the people of the village would look at them, and shake their heads in amusement at the strange friendship that bound the three.

Hinata.

What a joy it was to spend time with her, to have her smile at him, to have her joke with him.

To have her touch him.

The first time it happened, he was sure she wasn't even aware of the effect she had on him, but oh, was _he_.

It was a few weeks after they became a team, and the three of them had been taking their usual stroll through one of the quieter neighborhoods. They already passed by the Inuzuka compound, and after waving goodbye to Kiba, the two went on their way. Upon reaching the Hyuuga estate, the two paused in front of the gate, and Hinata asked, "D-do you like candies, Shino-kun?"

He was surprised by the question, and shrugged, digging his fingers deeper into his jacket pockets. "I guess I haven't tried enough to form an opinion of it."

Hinata gave him one of her rare grins. "Wait here, okay?" She opened the gate and left Shino outside, and dashed into one of the buildings. After a while she ran back outside, her face flushed from her sprint. She pulled one of Shino's hands from his pocket, and placed a small bag on it. "Chocolate mints," she said. "I love them. I guess I forgot earlier. I'd bring Kiba-kun some tomorrow. I-I'll see you then, okay?" And with another wave and a smile, she was gone.

Shino remained motionless outside their gate, his hand still open in front of him as he stared at the bag of candy. He was in shock, that he wasn't able to say or do anything after Hinata handed him the candy. Something in him went _zing_ as her flesh touched his, and the aftershocks made him freeze where he was.

That was then, and now, in the middle of the forest in the middle of the night, his thoughts turned, once again, as how it always happened for the past few years, towards the person sitting a few feet from him. He was no stranger to the feeling of hot longing that people his age were so familiar with, and who did something about it, but he was one who always tried to master his self control, and he never attempted to give in to the feelings, never attempted to do something about that sharp heat inside.

Everything would have been okay, if only Hinata didn't… if only Kiba was…

It was all Hinata's fault.

**xxxxxxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**SO WHOSE FAULT WAS IT? **

**_by Mad Fleas _**

**xxxxxxx**

**_A/N:_**_ New chapter! This one gets more citrusy, so be warned. Please tell me how I should improve the story, and what parts you think worked for you, and what did not. For some reason, it feels like the story is just writing itself, and at this point I must admit that I still don't know how it will end. I hope you all like it, though, so reviews will be appreciated. _

_I do not own Naruto. _

**xxxxxxx**

**_HINATA_**

And so Kiba went to meet his lady friend in the forest – Hinata no longer found it weird that even in the middle of the forest, Kiba had a "friend". She was a gypsy of sorts, according to Kiba. Hinata and Shino had heard of her before, and sometimes Kiba even brought with him a few dried herbs that he threw into the fire, that made the air smell sweet, that made her have a peaceful and dreamless sleep that night, that made her wake up so well-rested the next morning, that put her in such high spirits the entire day. She wished he'd bring some again this time, and he said he'd try.

She shared a quiet meal with Shino, and after talking a little with him, they decided to turn in for the night. It was then that Kiba ran back to camp and dropped onto the log beside Shino.

"So, how's you're friend?" asked Hinata.

"Oh, Taka? She's great. She says 'hi', too. Oh, she says I should give this to you, Hinata," he gave Hinata a small package wrapped in plain brown paper. "Just as you requested."

"That's really nice of her! Tell her I – we said thank you." She smiled as she peeked at the contents of the package. "How should I pay her?"

Kiba laughed at this, and said, "It's a present, Hinata. She knows how much you like it. Don't worry, she has more where that came from." The last words were added as he observed his female teammate's concerned look, which was easily replaced by one of flushed gratitude. Hinata was so adorable in how she always wore her expressions so openly.

"And this is for you, Shino." He took the soft dry leaf from his pocket carefully and handed it to the bug-nin.

"What's this? More of your friend's magic herbs?" Shino asked as he took the offered gift. Hinata looked on curiously.

"We-eell, not exactly. It's a smoke. Look, you roll it like this – " he demonstrated how " – and you light it, just like a cigarette."

"You know I don't smoke, Kiba."

"Don't be a spoilsport, man, just give it a try. Here, I'll light it for you –" he touched one end of the rolled-up leaf to the campfire and gave it once again to Shino.

Shino narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "Alright, I guess." He sucked in a mouthful of the smoke and coughed. Kiba pounded his back. "How is it?" he asked, grinning.

"It – tastes – horrible!" The reply was interspersed with coughs and wheezes.

"Kiba-kun, where's Akamaru?" Hinata asked, noticing for the first time that the giant dog was nowhere in sight.

"Try another puff, bugboy, I swear the first one's always the worst. Oh, Akamaru's still with Taka. He likes her. Speaking of which, I should get back."

"You mean you're going back there tonight?"

"Ye-ah. She misses me, hahah. Nighty-night, you two. Sweet dreams." With a last pat on Shino's back, he got up and sprinted away again.

Hinata thought there was something weird in the way Kiba grinned at them as he left. He was probably having a really good time with that girl, as it seemed he couldn't wait to get back. "Shino-kun, are you alright?"

"I really don't – _cough_ – understand how people could – _cough_ – enjoy this – "

"It was nice of Taka, though, don't you think?" Hinata took Kiba's place patting Shino's back. She wondered why Kiba would think that Shino would enjoy something like this, knowing that the silent shinobi, as he had said himself, didn't smoke, but maybe it was just for the novelty of the experience. And if it came from the gypsy-girl in the woods, there must be something special about the dry leaf, judging from the girl's other "presents" they'd received in the past.

"Here, let me try it," Hinata said, curious about the smoke, as she herself had never tried one before.

"No – I don't think – " protested Shino, but Hinata had already taken the smoke from his hand, and puffed on it. Predictably, coughs exploded from her.

"I told you," said Shino. "It's horrible, eh."

Hinata was now coughing and laughing at the same time. "Yeah – _cough_ – really – " But after the second puff she managed to keep from coughing. "Kiba's right, the first puff's really the worst. Here, thanks."

"No, just finish it if you want."

Hinata's hand was still on Shino's shoulder, and Shino was once more mesmerized by how the firelight danced in her eyes, and how her lips curled in a smile around the smoke. He tried not to think too much of the warmth that was spreading from the innocent contact of her hand against his shoulder, and was grateful that the girl was too engrossed with the smoke to notice him redenning under his collar. She playfully blew the smoke right into Shino's face and giggled.

"Do you have to do that?" grumbled Shino, but there was a hint of a smile on his own lips.

**xxxxxxx **

It wasn't a particularly warm night, but for some reason, Hinata couldn't sleep, and it felt like she was burning from the inside. She tried to keep still, so as not to wake Shino who was already asleep a few feet from her.

She felt so _hot_.

A few minutes later she sprang from her sleeping bag and, taking a washcloth with her, as quietly as she could slipped out of the tent. There was a spring a few minutes away from the camp, and she wanted to wash her face. She lifted her hair from her nape and touched her hand to the damp skin there.

The air was cool against her skin, and she breathed huge lungfuls of it as she walked toward the stream. It was a good thing the moon was full; she could easily see ahead of her even without the aid of her Byakugan. She took her time walking, savoring the cooling relief the night air brought to her skin. Was she coming down with something? But then, she didn't feel weak, just… terribly restless.

Was it something in that leaf Kiba made them smoke? But then… Kiba wouldn't do something that would harm them… right? Whatever the reason, Hinata needed relief.

She came to the spring and went down on her knees at its bank, thinking of how beautiful the moon's reflection was in the quiet water. She dipped her hand in the water and found it refreshing. After wetting her washcloth, she placed it against her forehead, and then her nape, breathing in a sigh of relief –

-- which was cut short by the unmistakeable sound of someone screaming in the distance. She suddenly stood up from her kneeling position as she heard the sound again, though this second one was weaker, like it was muffled. She dropped her washcloth and quickly formed a seal, muttering "Byakugan" and then scanned the immediate area. There was nothing out of the ordinary she could see, and so she ran a little upstream, and then --

There they were, about a hundred meters from her. Two figures whose outlines she saw clearly with her white eyes. They were writhing on the ground, and for a moment she thought they were fighting, but then… one of the figures moaned loudly, the one she thought was pinned on the ground, and… is that _Kiba_?! She brought her hand against her mouth to stifle her gasp of surprise. No, they definitely weren't fighting. They were… they were… doing _it_, and Hinata knew she should look away. But never, in all her life, had she witnessed such a thing…

Suddenly the night wasn't so cool anymore, and she was burning hot once again.

Being the owner of her particular bloodline, she was aware of all the temptations that went with it, but born in a household where everyone else could see as – or even more – clearly as she could, she understood the unspoken code of honor about the uses of their blood limit. The private rooms in the Hyuuga compound were sealed and protected from unwanted visual intrusion, but everywhere else in the village and out of it, the opportunity to take advantage of her abilities were very much open. It was simply a matter of choice for her to not look where she was not invited, unless if the situation demanded it, as in missions; she always knew that if she was the one being spied on without her knowledge, she would feel very much violated, and sensitive soul that she was, she tried very hard to uphold the silent rule.

But now she could not look away.

It felt as if she were frozen on the spot, and the thought of deactivating her Byakugan didn't even cross her shocked mind. She could do nothing but watch with her innocent and unspoiled eyes, and horrified as she was… she was aware that she was beginning to enjoy what she was seeing.

It seemed that Kiba was licking the girl's – Taka's – neck, and she was undoubtedly enjoying it, judging from how she moaned and writhed against him. Her fingers were clawing at his back, and it appeared that her mouth was seeking Kiba's, and Kiba himself was moaning, but deliberately turning his face away from the girl's, teasing her with gentle nips on her graceful neck instead. Hinata saw, to her shock, that one of her teammate's hands was clutching at the girl's breast, pinching and playing with it, it seemed, while the other was – _Kami-sama­, it's between her legs!_

Hinata couldn't move from where she was, and helplessly stared at the couple. _So this is how people did it_, she thought, her gaze riveted to Kiba's hand, which now – her Byakugan unconsciously focused harder -- seemed to pump three whole fingers inside and out of the girl's… well, _there_, and the girl was moving her hips in time to Kiba's pumping. She didn't realize that her own breath was coming in pants, and that her fingers were clutching the material of her own black capris.

And then the girl pushed against Kiba's shoulders almost violently, a look of surprise crossing the boy's face as his fingers slipped out of her and tendrils of her wetness on his fingers glistened in the faint light, and she laid him on his back, straddling him. Hinata stood unblinking as the girl grasped Kiba's… _Kiba's_… which twitched in the moonlight, and without warning plunged it inside herself. Kiba let out a loud gasp, while the girl _screamed_. So that was what Hinata heard earlier.

The sound of that scream tore Hinata from her stupor and made her come to her senses.

As quietly as she could, she went back to normal vision – though the images she just saw were burned into her sight, and try as she might, she couldn't rid her mind of the image of Kiba's pumping fingers and that girl's hand as it wrapped around Kiba. She ran back to camp and reentered the tent as quietly as she left it. She only realized she was shaking when she got back under the covers.

Even in the darkness, the images mocked her… Kiba and Taka, writhing on the ground… she didn't know the woman was so beautiful, with that waterfall of golden hair flowing around her…

And Kiba… she never saw him more beautiful than he was tonight as he made love to that girl. No wonder… if the girls thought of him that way, no wonder they couldn't help but jump into bed with him. All that skin browned by the sun glistening with sweat in the moonlight… those muscles rippling as he moved against her… Hinata let out a groan of frustration.

And then –

"Hinata, are you alright?"

She must have woken him with her thrashing and groaning. "Sorry, Shino, I'm fine… just… go back to sleep." She turned her back to him and bit her lip to keep from moaning again, clutching her knees close to her chest. He seemed to settle back to sleep, but then –

"Are you sure you're okay, Hinata?" She suddenly felt a hand against her back, and the warm contact through her thin grey shirt made her gasp and shiver. She couldn't speak, she couldn't move, and she was suddenly hot everywhere. "P-please, Shino-kun, your… y-your hand…"

And then his hand left her back, and he stammered, "Oh, I'm sorry Hinata, I didn't mean to – really, so sorry – "

Shino never stammered.

"No, no, Shino-kun, please… it isn't like that!" She was mortified, thinking she made him think she was disgusted by him, when it was exactly the other way around. She turned to face Shino in the darkness, and blindly groped for his hand. When she got a hold of it, she laid it against her face, and whispered against it, "It isn't like that at all, Shino…"

**xxxxxxx **

**_SHINO_**

Her lips were warm against his hand, and when she said his name like that in the darkness something inside him melted. She had fallen silent and motionless, save for her lips against his palm, which were now – was he dreaming? – kissing his skin softly.

There was something in the air that night that made him feel restless, and he couldn't sleep, but he could lie still better than anyone he knew, and so he pretended to be asleep earlier that night. No point in worrying Hinata, who, for some reason, couldn't fall asleep herself. He almost followed her when she went outside a few minutes ago, but then she wouldn't like it if she thought he thought she couldn't take care of himself.

As for the reason for the strangeness in the air, he could only attribute it to Kiba and his smoke. Shino thought if nothing came from it but a sleepless night of tossing and turning, he wouldn't take up the issue with Kiba in the morning, but now…

He prided himself for his self-control, but now it was cracking fast and hard against Hinata's ministrations. He didn't know if he should just ignore her – he did hear something about the wrath of a woman scorned from before, but never thought it would apply to him, but then now wasn't the time to find out. And so he trembled in the dark, and let Hinata kiss his hand. But then –

"Please, Shino, you feel so good…"

Goodbye, self-control.

He caressed Hinata's cheek with his fingers, and she moved her face against him, obviously pleased with his touch. He felt her own fingers brush against his face, and could only savor the feeling of Hinata touching him for so long, for in the next moment, he felt her breath close to his face, coming in ragged pants. Her foot touched his, and everything from her fingers on his face to her toes against his felt electrified.

He wanted more. He wanted every inch of her, and it felt like every inch of him strained to come closer to her heat.

There was no time to analyze, no space in his mind and no point in doing so. Her hand slid to his neck – such _warmth_, it was almost unbearable -- and he could feel her face coming closer, closer… but a breath away she stopped. "P-please, Shino, can I… can I… kiss you?"

Not even an inch of space between their faces, and Hinata still had to ask.

"Hinata… I've never kissed a girl."

A heartbeat of silence, and then, "You'll be my first, too, Shino."

It was he who travelled the last distance, and touched his lips to hers, which were unbelievable in their softness. Their first kiss was mind-blowingly sweet, and he couldn't believe he was lucky enough to be the first to feast on this bounty. He wrapped his arm around her as they lay on their sides, savoring the taste of her in the feather-light contact. She moaned against his mouth, and the vibrations sent tingles running through his spine. For long moments they stayed like that, their lips just barely touching, but then the heat grew too much, and he knew he wanted more. He nipped at her lips, which opened against his damply, and he unconsciously stuck out the tip of his tongue to taste more of her.

Hinata opened her mouth, and sucked his tongue in.

**xxxxxxx **

**_HINATA_**

The feel of Shino's tongue touching her open lips almost undid Hinata. She'd heard of nerves connecting places in her body that were far from each other, but never until this moment did she know of it firsthand. The moment Shino's tongue touched hers, it felt as if a string had been tugged from her mouth to the center of her body, where she was warmest. It wasn't a deliberate act on her part, but her lips decided on their own to wrap themselves around Shino's tongue and apply soft suction. As she did so her pelvis tilted towards Shino, straining, as her mouth did, to feel more of him. She let her knees fall open against his, trying to get relief from the maddening heat between them.

With her eyes closed she couldn't see him, but she could imagine a fire glowing in his glassless black, black eyes, eyes that were darker than the night, with a soft twinkle of starlight in them, his beautiful eyes which very few people were lucky enough to have seen. With her eyes closed, she could still hear his breath hitching, she could feel his flesh trembling a little against her, his bugs making his skin ripple under his clothes, she could smell the earth on his skin, as well as hints of the smoke they had earlier. She had never felt such sensory overload before, and she could do nothing but ride the warm waves.

Never before had she experienced the full force of sexual attraction, and tonight there weren't even any lingering thoughts of a certain blond ninja in her drugged mind; she was drowning in the heat of her teammate. That realization made her burn hotter, for here was a man she had strong affections for, and who cared for her at least as much. She let out a small whimper as Shino's tongue wrapped around her own, and she angled her head to take more of him in, at the same time her leg crept up against his thigh, her toes curling against the material of his dark pants.

**xxxxxxx **

**_SHINO _**

The moment Hinata's leg wrapped around him, Shino thought he felt his brain blow a fuse. The bugs inside him were going haywire with all the unfamiliar sensation, and in desperate trickles they exited his body through points behind his ears, his wrists, and the backs of his knees under his roomy dark clothes. Their departure was almost painful to Shino, but for some reason this only served to add to his pleasure. He had never gotten so hard in such a short amount of time, and he felt he would soon burst if he didn't slow down. With an effort he wrenched his mouth from Hinata's, and the loss of her lips against his was almost a physical ache.

"Hinata," he said raggedly, "what are we doing?"

His teammate could only breathe hard for a few moments. "I-is this wrong, Shino-kun?" As she said this her fingers fluttered on his nape. "I-I'm sorry, Shino-kun, I d-didn't mean to…"

She started to withdraw from him, but as her leg slid down against his, his hand shot out and grasped the back of her knee, and a "No!" exploded from him, and then he was rolling her to her back. The action brought his arousal flush against her center, and as he looked down at her in the darkness with his hand still anchoring her knee around him, he heard her cry out softly. For a moment they lay still, and then Hinata slowly brought her other knee up, fully cradling him between her open legs. The friction caused by this made Shino shudder, and almost unconsciously he ground against her.

**xxxxxxx **

**_HINATA _**

Hinata cried out in shock and sensation as Shino's hardness made contact with her own heated core through their clothes, and when he ground against her, there was a sudden rush of wetness down there, and her pelvis tilted upwards to maximize the sensation. Shino swallowed her whimpers with his suddenly mobile mouth, and his tongue pierced through her lips in an imitation of the more heated act which all this was building up to. Their tongues battled to find their way into each other's mouths, at the same time Shino's hands crept downward to grab onto Hinata's hips, guiding them as he repeatedly rubbed his throbbing length against her.

The air was thick with body heat and the scent of arousal, and Hinata felt too warm under her clothes. Shino's hands were moving up and down under her arched back, and his chest rubbed with her own as he ground against her. The motion was making her breasts ache, and she had never felt them so full and tender, and she was suddenly aware that her nipples had puckered at the heated friction. The knowledge of this caused another warm burst of wetness where she was warmest, and as Shino rubbed himself against her she suddenly had the vision of her wetness slowly saturating both her own and Shino's pants. That made her bring her knees up higher and squeeze Shino as he moved between them.

"Sh-Shino – uhh – ahhh!" Her mouth was wrenched away from his in her mounting passion, and her cries of pleasure filled the small space inside the dark tent.

At the loss of her lips, Shino buried his face against her neck, all the while low moans rose from his throat, and his seeking lips made Hinata tilt her head to the side to give him more room. She felt his restlessness, and her wonder at the thought of a restless Shino was almost lost in the moment, as his face began wandering from her neck, down to her collarbone. Her clothes were becoming too restrictive, and she felt his hands grasping her shirt desperately as he moved his face even further downwards.

**xxxxxxx**

**_SHINO_**

His mind felt like it had completely shut down, and he was drowning in the feel of Hinata… his Hinata. Her smell filled his head as the heat rose from her skin, and now he was operating on blind, seeking instinct. He couldn't even verbalize his desires, and he was pitifully reduced to grunts and moans, which was in perfect rhythm against her own soft whimpers. Years and years of wanting her, of keeping it all tamped down inside him without even a physical solitary outlet… he felt as if he was going a bit mad with this sudden and complete arousal, and he could no longer stop himself.

The faint salty taste of her sweat… the feeling of her small body trembling uncontrollably under him with need… her hands clutching his back almost painfully… not a single sensation went unnoticed by Shino, not after all those years of deprivation, and even as he touched her he felt tears seep into his eyes.

He loved her so much.

The sudden shock of that knowledge made him stop, his fingers still digging into her back, and he just poised over her, breathing hard through his open mouth.

**xxxxxxx**

**_HINATA_**

She felt his sudden cessation of motion, and it was like being drenched with a bucketful of cold water.

There was something about the way he held himself still, and for a moment Hinata could only strain her eyes in the darkness, trying to see his own dark eyes. They were still intimately connected through their clothes, but Hinata perceived a sense of distance from her teammate.

And then she felt it. One, two, three drops of something warm fell on her cheek, and as they rolled down to her open lips, she knew she was tasting the salt of Shino's tears.

Her hand crept up from his back and touched his face, and sure enough, it was damp.

"Sh-Shino-kun… what's… what's wrong?"

He did not answer her question, but she felt his face come closer to hers, nuzzling her hand against his cheek in the process, and then his lips were touching hers in almost painful gentleness.

And that was when she knew.

He loved her.

The sudden shock of that knowledge made something warm burst in her chest, and she recognized it as an unbelievable joy that filled her entire being.

How long has he loved her? How could she have missed this?

The mad heat of the past minutes were gone now, replaced by a more mellow but enduring warmth as he kissed her tenderly. Just as softly she kissed him back, almost terrified in the awareness of this newfound power over him.

She didn't want to hurt him. Not Shino, her Shino who had been nothing but supportive of her all these years, her Shino who had done nothing but encourage her even in her darkest times. But she knew it would take some time to open her heart out to him the same way he had to her, and for that… she was scared.

For now…

For now her hand could do nothing but slide against the back of his neck. She opened her mouth under his, and slowly, the kiss blossomed, and she felt his tongue worship her own.

"Shino… make love to me…"

**xxxxxxx**


End file.
